it is not about the stuff

i just met a friend of a friend who shared that he lost all of his belongings - the things that mean the most to him - in hurricane sandy. he was at a point in his life where he had to downsize and had to move his belongings to his mother and stepfather's house in ny. then hurricane sandy hit and the items were unknowingly thrown away. his stepfather who is 80 mistakenly had what he thought were damaged items removed. this gesture created a drama between two grown men that included the step son (a grown man) not speaking to his step father for two weeks.
when the step son shared the story he cried for his lost grateful dead t-shirts and his other life long items. sure he had been drinking when he told the story but you could still feel his pain. but finally he realized his lack of communication was painfully hurting his step father who had been so traumatized by the events of the hurricane. he now can feel love and compassion again for someone he loves and not feel the resentment for the lost stuff. yes, i can still feel some anger in his voice but i believe that will also pass with time. it is such a clear reminder that we are not defined by our "stuff" and as we so often hear, you can't take it with you.
so today, i dedicate my post to the people i love - my husband, my friends, my family and all those i whose path i cross.
namaste.